It’s often said that time is the most important and fundamental of all resources. Time is money, but unlike money you cannot borrow time, you cannot save it up, you cannot earn interest on your time and once its gone you cannot get a refund.

That may be why lost time is among the most frustrating aspects of business today. You can help to change the situation by being more respectful of your own time and the time of others with regard to appointments. Not only should you get to a meeting early, you should make sure you have something productive to do while you are waiting. This should be a task that you can stop at any time, like reading or processing email, and one with enough remaining work that you can still be productive even if the person you are meeting is late.

Second, its important to have an agenda. If the meeting is routine or involves more than two people, consider sharing the agenda with the other person. An agenda empowers you to keep moving forward and also ensures that you stay on topic. After all, getting back to the subject is just adhering to the agenda, not making a judgment.

Finally, always schedule something immediately after the appointment, even if its just time with yourself to collect your thoughts. That will keep you focused on the goal without taking up too much of your day.

What are your tactics for making appointments a good use of your time?